Stepping Up
by duchessofbrighton
Summary: The gang attend a wedding and much romance (of all different kinds) ensues… A Step universe story for Valentine's Day featuring Tom, Sasha, Mike, Rachel, Tex, Kat, Ray, Wolf, Miller… you get the picture!
1. Nice Day for a White Wedding

_Author's note: So I had planned a Christmas story for this universe, but flu and work and all sorts of other things conspired against me, so here we are at Valentine's Day instead! On the plus side, it gives me a good excuse to write another wedding…_

 _This story is set in the Step universe, and there is a guide in my profile for any newcomers to this timeline._

 _Hope you enjoy, please consider reviewing if you do!_

 **Chapter One - Nice Day for a White Wedding**

At his home just outside of St Louis, Tom Chandler was wondering, not for the first time, if the open plan layout of the large farmhouse that his family called home might have been a mistake.

"Where are my shoes?" Ashley bellowed from the narrow balcony walkway that provided access to the kids' bedrooms on the second floor and gave a clear view down into the living space below. Her voice echoed up towards the roof and down into Tom's ears with impressive volume, "Sam! Did you take my shoes?"

"Why would I take your shoes?" Sam bellowed back from the kitchen area, and Tom turned his head to see his son rifling through the fridge. Sam shoved a handful of canapés into his mouth before adding, "They're ugly shoes!" Thankfully the pastry muffled the sound even as it sent crumbs floating down onto his already wrinkled suit.

"Sam!" Sasha was halfway down the stairs, her hair and makeup done, but still wearing pyjama pants and a tank top. "I saw that! That food is for the party, and clean up that mess!" She gave Tom an exasperated kind of smile as she scooped up the cell phone she'd come down to find, "Why did we think this was a good idea again?"

Tom opened his mouth to reply, assuming - or at least hoping - that she was talking about the house and not about their kids, but before he could, another bellow emerged from upstairs, followed by a higher pitched cry, and a wail of "Mamaaaaaaa!"

Sasha rolled her eyes, "Hold that thought." She bent and kissed him lightly, and he grabbed her hand.

"I'll take care of the twins, you get dressed. We have to leave in ten minutes."

She nodded, glanced at the clock and grimaced, before running up the stairs two at a time. As he appreciated her back view all the way, he realised that that at least was an advantage of the open plan.

As Sasha quickly finished dressing, trying to ignore the faint wails that were still audible from the floors below her and Tom's attic bedroom, she distracted herself by remembering their Christmas. At just the thought of it, her face split into a grin. The twins had been too young to really appreciate Christmas the year before, but now that they were eighteen months old, watching them open their stockings had been a lot of fun, even if they'd enjoyed the tearing off of paper more than the actual gifts.

She turned as she heard a knock at the bedroom door, smiling as Ashley slid into the room, perfectly made up and dressed in the deep blue bridesmaid's dress that Tom would probably think was too fitted and too short, but that Sasha had to admit looked great.

"You look beautiful." Sasha told her, smoothing down her own long red dress, which she'd worn at Mike and Rachel's wedding and had decided was therefore perfect for today.

"So do you." Ash replied, "But you should wear your hair down."

"You think?" Sasha turned her head slightly as she looked in the mirror, reaching round to pull the clip from her hair so that it cascaded down her back.

"Over one shoulder, like this," Ash stepped up behind her and swept the hair over her shoulder. "See?"

Sasha nodded, "I like it."

Ash smiled at her in the mirror. "Cool. Now we have to go before Dad has a fit about being late!"

A couple of miles down the road, Tex Nolan stood in the middle of his living room and bellowed, "Five minute warning!" His two year old son looked up from the sofa and covered his ears, and Tex gave him a conspiratorial grin, "Waiting around for the ladies, Jack, you should get used to it."

"Dad, can you please try not to indoctrinate him with gender stereotypes before he can even form a full sentence?" Kat said from behind him, and Tex turned to reply but found his jaw dropping instead.

Kat had never been a girly girl, and as a Lieutenant in the Marine Corps, she was usually in uniform. But now she stood in front of him in the bridesmaid's dress her best friend had insisted she wear, and she looked spectacular. He swallowed back the fulsome compliments he wanted to pay his daughter, as he knew she'd hate it, and instead just nodded. "I'll try my best."

"Not going to say anything about the dress?" Kat looked uncharacteristically insecure, and he backpedalled.

"You look absolutely beautiful." He said honestly, and she blushed.

"I look stupid."

"Not even a little bit." He replied.

Thankfully Nina choose that moment to appear, and Tex quickly turned his attention to his wife.

"Callaghan," He said firmly, "Hand me that baby and let me look at you."

Nina laughed, obediently handing over their eight week old daughter. Rosie had been born unexpectedly slightly prematurely on Christmas Eve, but had thrived beautifully, already sporting plenty of the same red hair that her brother had inherited from their mother.

"That is a very nice outfit." Tex told his wife, taking in the tight fitting trousers and tuxedo style jacket in midnight blue, accessorised in very Nina style with a plain t-shirt beneath and a pair of spike heeled boots that he was pretty sure she had borrowed from Sasha Chandler.

"Best way to disguise the gut that these two have left me with," But Nina was grinning as she hefted Jack into her arms. "Now, let's go Kansas, or Kat will miss walking down the aisle, and we'll miss dropping these two off at Kara's."

Kat gave an elaborate shudder, "Commander Green must be crazy. Volunteering to look after four toddlers and baby, when she has two of her own and another on the way."

Tex laughed, "Oh, she's not doing it alone. Danny and Carlton are both playing uncle, and Miller only got out of it because his girlfriend's invited to the wedding. Besides, it's only for a few hours." He kissed Rosie's head, "We can't leave this one too long."

"Speak for yourself," Nina grinned, "This mama needs a break!"

An hour later, in a small anteroom off of the beautiful chapel where the wedding was being held, Rachel Slattery ran a critical eye over her husband.

"No growling, no glaring, and remember to smile!" She instructed him as she adjusted the decorations that adorned the chest of his dress whites, before looking up at him with a stern expression, "And no unsavoury jokes in the speech!"

Mike shook his head and gently grabbed his wife's chin, planting a soft kiss on her mouth before replying. "I think you might be confusing me, a grown man and Naval officer who knows how to behave, with our son, the three year old."

Rachel pretended to think for a moment, "No, I'm definitely instructing the right person."

He growled and pulled her close, and she squealed in protest.

"Careful! Dress!"

"Take it off then," He suggested, not loosening his grip, "We have time."

"We do not." Rachel countered, but she leaned into him for a moment, "Besides, you're the father of the bride, you need to set a good example."

She stepped back and he let her, admiring once again the way her dark pink dress hugged her figure. "Well then I'd better not muss you up before the wedding, but I make no promises about tonight."

She shot him a wicked smile, "Oh, there had better be a promise about tonight, Admiral Slattery. It's not often we get a night away from that three year old you were just talking about."

Mike's face turned serious for a moment, and he caught her hand again. "Are you really okay with not having Jamie at the wedding?"

"Of course." Rachel replied honestly. "It's Lissy's big day, we need to focus on her. Jamie would much rather be tearing it up with Frankie and Jack anyway."

There was a knock at the door, and the familiar form of Ray Diaz appeared as it opened, neatly dressed in his whites.

"It's time, sir."

"Thanks, Diaz." Mike leaned down and kissed his wife once more. "You'd better get to your seat."

Sasha looked up as Rachel slid into the empty place beside her, her smile wide.

"I just saw Lissy," She stage whispered, "She looks so beautiful."

Sasha glanced along the row at Tex, Nina, Sam and Tom, just as the music started and they all got to their feet. As they turned towards the door, she couldn't help sweeping the rest of the chapel with her gaze, a habit she'd never be able to break, even if she wanted to.

The small chapel sat in the grounds of the hospital where Lissy Slattery was training to become a doctor, and many of the guests were from the hospital itself, some even in scrubs as they'd escaped their shifts for a half hour to make it to the wedding. The rest of the congregation were mainly in military dress uniforms, being friends of the groom, Aaron, who was in the Army, or the Slattery family.

Catching the eye of Hope Taylor in the row behind theirs, Sasha smiled. Hope stood next to her husband Wolf, his arm firmly around her back helping to support the weight of her huge pregnant belly. The blonde doctor had already started her maternity leave, but as one of Lissy's mentors had been loath to miss the wedding. Next to them were Eric Miller and his girlfriend Caroline, herself a nurse and now one of Lissy's closest friends at the hospital.

The doors opened at the back of the room, and Sasha saw Ashley standing there next to one of Aaron's Army buddies, her fingers resting lightly on his arm as they started to walk down the aisle. Tom's fingers tightened on Sasha's waist at the sight, and she supressed a smile. Having a sixteen year old daughter - a very attractive sixteen year old daughter - wasn't something Admiral Chandler was finding very easy to deal with.

Behind Ashley came Kat, arm in arm with Ray Diaz. Sasha couldn't resist a quick glance at Tex, who looked proud, and Nina, who had a strange look of satisfaction on her face. The journalist had been very tight lipped about what may or may not be going on between Kat and Ray, but Sasha had observed enough of their interactions to have formed a theory of her own.

And then finally, there was the bride, her hand resting on her father's arm, Mike's large hand on top of hers, his height and the breadth of his shoulders only serving to make her look more delicate. Inwardly, Lissy Slattery was tough as nails, but her petite form in her white lace wedding dress looked almost fragile as she progressed down the aisle.

Sasha turned to look at the groom, and saw that his eyes were gleaming with unshed tears. Aaron had rescued Lissy from the Immunes during the worst of the red flu, and had been by her side ever since. Lissy may have been only nineteen, but the couple were rock solid, and had already been through more than many couples had in a lifetime together. The tall blonde Corporal was looking at his bride as though he'd never be able to look away, and Sasha felt her own eyes prickle just as she heard a discreet sob from Rachel. As Lissy reached the altar and her groom, however, Sasha was distracted by a muffled curse from behind her, and a whisper in a Southern accent.

"Holy hell, I think my water just broke!"


	2. This Time

_Author's note: I was planning three chapters for this but it might end up being four… oh well!_

 _The seeds of this particular chapter were sown in my story Step Forward, so feel free to check that out if you haven't already._

 _Thanks as always for reading, reviewing, following and favouriting._

 **Chapter 2 – This Time**

At the front of the chapel, the service was moving ahead as planned, but in the third row a covert operation was taking place as Wolf tried to execute his and his wife's exit as quietly and unobtrusively as possible.

From her position at the side of the altar, Kat Nolan's attention was drawn in three directions at once. She couldn't help noticing the Taylors leaving, Wolf holding Hope close and supporting her as they eased out of the side door of the chapel, but she was trying to keep her focus on the couple getting married. What made that so difficult was Ray Diaz, standing on the other side of the altar from her, watching her with an intense look on his face.

Lissy was speaking now, making her vows to Aaron, her voice strong and clear as she smiled up at him. Kat envied her friend sometimes, she was always so certain of what she wanted. Then again, Kat figured she got that from her dad. Mike Slattery stood close to the couple, having refused to sit after giving his daughter away, a mingled look of pride and worry on his face as he watched intently. It had taken a lot of persuading for Mike to agree to give Lissy his blessing to marry so young, and they all knew he still had some concerns about it.

Kat's gaze was soon drawn back to Ray though, she just couldn't help it. Since she'd been transferred back to St Louis after the mission she'd been on with Sasha Chandler in California, she'd spent time with him - they lived on the same military base after all - but she never quite knew where she stood.

He'd come to get her when the California mission had been FUBARed, going against orders to do it, but he'd refused to talk about his feelings, feelings that she'd started to suspect didn't actually exist. She and Ray had kind of dated for a little while before she'd joined up, but then she'd met Ruth and got caught up in the intensity of training, and when Ray suddenly appeared at the worst moment of her life, he'd told her she wasn't ready to hear what he had to say. And since then, he'd been around as a friend but he'd never spoken to her again the way he had that night; and now he was staring at her, in her stupid too tight, too short, dress, and she couldn't look away.

She felt like she was sleepwalking as she approached him and let him take her arm to walk her back down the aisle behind Lissy and Aaron, forcing herself to break eye contact and focus on not falling over in the stupid heels Lissy had made her wear. As soon as they were outside the chapel she went to move away from him, but he kept his arm tightly locked with hers.

"Photos, Kitkat." She risked looking at him again, and saw that although he was smiling, his eyes still held the intensity that they had in the chapel. "Smile." He ordered, nodding towards the camera, and she did so automatically.

"Ray-" She started, but as the photographer moved away he dropped her arm and strode off. She hesitated for just a second, before reminding herself that she wasn't a sixteen year old kid anymore, she was a badass United States Marine, and she was done with Ray Diaz fucking with her head.

"Ray!" She strode after him, rounding the corner of the chapel and entering the small garden that the church maintained. "What is with you?"

Ray sighed and turned, his face bearing the blank look that drove her crazy. Ray was so self contained when he wanted to be. "Go take care of Lissy, Kitkat. I'll be there in a minute."

Kat stood her ground. "Aaron can take care of Lissy, that's the point of today, and you can tell me what's with you."

"I told you in California, you're not ready-"

"-to hear what you have to say to me," She interrupted, "Yeah, I remember, and I'm so done with you being cryptic. Whatever you think I'm not ready for, I am, actually, ready. Lay it on me."

Ray made a noise halfway between a laugh and a snort, "Christ Kitkat, you can't stand there in that dress and talk about me laying on you, because-" He broke off abruptly and ran a hand over his hair in frustration. "Seriously, Kathleen-"

But Kat's skin had started to tingle all over as she registered the meaning of his words, and everything seemed to click into place. "You told me," She said in a voice that wasn't quite steady, "That when I was ready, you would show me what you need. I'm ready now, Ray. I'm ready."

He looked at her, his eyes searching her face as she tried to breathe normally, but thankfully he must have seen what he wanted because in two strides he was right there in front of her, his hands grasping her upper arms.

"You want to know what I need? What I want?"

Kat swallowed but she nodded, and as she opened her mouth to speak, Ray covered it with his own.

It wasn't a sweet, romantic kiss, but Kat had never had a kiss that felt as right as this one. Ray's hand was tangled in her hair, her fingers gripping his waist as he tilted her head and thrust his tongue into her mouth, eliciting a moan from her that she would have been embarrassed by if she wasn't so completely convinced that this was exactly what she wanted.

She stroked his tongue with hers, sliding her hands around to his back so she could press closer to him, and it was Ray's turn to groan as his free hand spanned the small of her back, pressing her closer still.

"That damn dress," He panted, breaking the kiss but keeping his tight hold on her, "Took away all my self control."

Kat couldn't help a grin spreading over her flushed face, "This stupid dress?"

Ray's eyes widened in disbelief. "Stupid? Kitkat, there is nothing stupid about that dress. You look..." He shook his head slightly, "I don't love you because of how you look, but I'm never going to forget how you look in that dress."

His words hit Kat like a round to the chest, but she managed to keep her eyes on his. "You... love me?"

He gave her a half smile, "Yeah, Kitkat. Since we were kids."

"Admiral Slattery says we're still kids," She commented stupidly, and Ray laughed.

"You feel like a kid?"

She shook her head slowly, and then bit her lip just as he leaned in and kissed her again, softly this time.

"I love you, Kitkat. That's what you weren't ready to hear in California."

"But you never..." She took a breath and tried again, "You always seem like nothing bothers you, like you don't need anything, and I..." She trailed off again, trying to marshal her thoughts, and he stayed quiet and let her. "I never thought you cared that much."

"Kitkat, you're the toughest, most badass girl I ever met." He stroked his thumb along her cheekbone and she shivered, "I never thought you cared that much either." He gave her that half smile again, "And you did kind of dump me for someone else."

She opened her mouth to protest, but then closed it again when she realised he had a point.

"But I'm here now Kitkat, telling you I care. Telling you I love you. Is that enough?" His smile had gone, and she saw the genuine apprehension in his dark eyes as he waited for her answer, and that made her sure.

"It's enough, Ray." She couldn't say she loved him yet, she was completely sure if she did, but she knew she wanted this.

And judging by the way Ray pulled her tight into his arms and kissed her, that was enough for him too.


	3. My Funny Valentine

_Author's note: So this is the last part of this little Valentine's story. Hope you enjoyed it, because I definitely got a kick out of visiting this world again._

 _If you want more Step stories, let me know in a review!_

 **Chapter 3 – My Funny Valentine**

"Mister Wolf, this baby is coming right now!" Hope Taylor declared, before screwing her face up as another contraction hit.

"But they said seven centimetres, babe-" Wolf tried to protest as he rubbed her back.

"I'm a doctor, remember?" She gasped out as the pain started to ebb.

"You're an orthopaedic surgeon..."

Hope turned her head and fixed him with a gimlet stare, "And I'm your wife, with your baby coming out of me, so I suggest you run and get me that goddamn doctor right now!"

Wolf suddenly had an inappropriate urge to laugh as he stared right back at his beautiful wife – it was something about her fiery words being delivered while leaning over a hospital bed in a backless gown.

"Okay babe, I'm going." He said quickly, wincing in sympathy as she tensed with another contraction.

Of course it turned out that Hope was right. By the time Wolf got back with the doctor, the baby's arrival was very imminent indeed.

"I can feel the head!" The young medic almost yelped as he knelt between Hope's legs, and Wolf could have sworn his wife rolled her eyes before she was gripped with another wave of pain.

He'd always thought babies were born with the mother laying on her back, but maybe that was just in the movies, as Hope was definitely about to deliver in her current pose, and he ended up awkwardly leaning over the bed to stroke her arms and shoulders as she stayed in her standing position, her hands braced on the mattress.

"Here he comes!" The doctor announced, and this time Hope definitely rolled her eyes, right before she wailed long and loud.

Even before her cry died away, another joined it, this one high and indignant, as their baby came into the world and immediately started shouting about it. And Wolf found himself laughing as Hope's eyes met his and she smiled the biggest smile, a beautiful contrast to the pain she'd been in, right before the doctor leaned in and offered them the baby.

"She's a beautiful little girl." He announced, and Wolf took one look and fell hopelessly in love with his daughter.

"She looks like you, Mister Wolf." Hope half whispered, as she let a nurse help her onto the bed, her eyes never leaving the baby cradled safely in his arms.

"She looks like us." He corrected, running a gentle finger over their daughter's fine blonde hair. "We're a family now. You, me, and-"

"Delilah." Hope said firmly, and Wolf's grin widened even more as he nodded.

"Yeah. You, me, and Delilah."

At the restaurant across the street from the hospital, the wedding reception was in full swing. Food had been eaten, speeches had been made, according to Rachel a manly tear had been shed by the father of the bride and according to Mike it most definitely had not, and now Sasha had even persuaded Tom to dance.

"Remember the first time we danced at a wedding?" He asked, and she smiled.

"Mike and Rachel's, of course. I was wearing this dress."

"You look even more beautiful now." He said, and meant it.

"Well, you still look good in those whites." She acknowledged. "And look at them." She nodded towards Mike and Rachel, who were also dancing slowly, her head nestled into his shoulder as he kissed her hair. "Nothing's changed there."

Tom smiled down at her, "Just as it should be."

"Just as it should be," She echoed.

Tex and Nina were sitting at the edge of the dance floor, both of them watching Kat and Ray swaying slowly to the music, pressed close together and eyes locked.

"You always knew, didn't you, Callaghan?" Tex asked his wife, and she squeezed his hand in response.

"I had a feeling." She turned to look at him. "Now, since Kat is clearly not coming home with us, can we skip out early and go get our babies back?"

Tex narrowed his eyes, "I thought you said mama needed a break?"

She leaned in and kissed him. "Mama changed her mind, Kansas. She needs her babies, a sofa and a foot rub, in that order." She shot him a wicked grin, "And then she might just need to do that thing we haven't done in a while that the doctor just cleared me to do."

Tex shoved his chair back and pulled Nina to her feet. "Then what the hell are we waiting for, Callaghan?"

Nina opened her mouth to reply but then paused, her eyes darting back to the dance floor. Tex followed her gaze and saw the same thing she had.

Ray and another of the groomsmen were subtly clearing couples from the floor, gradually leaving a gap around Miller and his girlfriend Caroline. As Tex watched, a suspicion started to form in his head, one which was confirmed when Nina laughed softly and murmured for him to listen to the music.

" _Sweet Caroline...Good times never seemed so good…_ "

Sasha felt Rachel, the queen of gossip, grab her hand and squeeze as they stood beside Tom and Mike at the edge of the dance floor.

"Is he about to-" But her enquiry was unnecessary as Miller chose that moment to drop to one knee, causing Caroline to look down at him in surprise, then around at the dance floor that had emptied without her noticing. She clapped a hand to her mouth and Sasha could see that her eyes were already glistening with tears.

"I didn't want to upstage Lissy and Aaron." Miller was saying, "But I wanted all your friends to be here for this."

Tex held back a whoop, but only barely. Miller was getting this just right so far.

"I wanted Wolfman and Hope to be here too," He continued, "But I don't want to wait. I've waited too long already. I knew I was going to marry you halfway through our first date."

Caroline gave a little sob, but she was grinning and holding tight to his hand, so Tex figured Miller had got this.

"But it's polite to ask, right? So Caroline, will you please marry me?"

The petite brunette nodded vigorously and threw herself into Miller's arms, and the crowd started cheering and clapping. Sasha's eyes sought out the bride and groom, who were cheering louder than anyone else.

Rachel wiped her eyes. "Now that's how it's done." She said, giving a pointed look to both Mike and Tom. "Take note, boys."

Sasha laughed, "Oh, that's not fair. Tom proposed!"

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "In a towel, wasn't it? In your bathroom?"

Tom shrugged. "She said yes."

"I didn't even get asked, I was just told." Rachel shook her head, "Honestly, sometimes I wonder..."

Mike leaned down and put his lips right against her ear, "If you're not careful, I'll take you home right now and 'propose' to you all night long."

She turned her head swiftly so that her lips met his in a quick but intense kiss before replying, "Behave, father of the bride." Then she gave him a naughty smile, "At least for another hour or so..."

Sasha was trying to keep a straight face and pretending she hadn't heard Rachel's words to her husband, when Tom suddenly nudged her.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

Sasha turned to look in the direction Tom was staring, and this time she did laugh.

Sam - who she sometimes still thought of as a little boy, even though he was now a gangly teenager who was taller than her, ate everything in sight and spent longer in the bathroom than Ashley - was dancing with a girl. Sure, he was doing so a little awkwardly, and there might have been a hint of a blush on his face, but the blonde girl he was swaying to the music with didn't seem to mind.

Tom wrapped his arm around her shoulders and Sasha looked up at him.

"It is Valentine's Day." She pointed out, and Tom conceded with a half-smile.

"I just thought it was Ash I had to worry about, not Sam!"

"Oh, I don't think there's anything to worry about." She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him back onto the dance floor, being very careful to keep him turned away from the corner where she could see Ashley in her blue bridesmaid's dress enthusiastically kissing the groomsman who'd walked her down the aisle earlier, "No," She said firmly, "Nothing to worry about at all..."

 **The End**


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